Lovely Flowers (HinaSaku)
by Kay Ross
Summary: Wherein Haruno Sakura fumbles about in her attempt to ask Hinata out. Flowers and food seemed fairly traditional yet effective, but what would Sakura do when she realized her 'crush' was a lot more than just that? /;/ Sakura crushing on Hinata fluff. HinaSaku / SakuHina. Enjoy. [COMPLETE]
1. Chapter 1

**Deviating from my usual InoSaku because Hinata and Sakura are also adorable together. Fluffy multi-chap of Sakura trying to ask Hinata out.**

 **I suppose the setting is post-war, but I won't be able to write about the war much in the details because I'm currently still in the beginning of the war in the series. I just felt that their post-timeskip age would be too young, but during the war would be too much turmoil to brew fluff in.**

 **Yuri. Girl on girl. I don't own Naruto. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sakura tapped her foot impatiently while she watched her best-friend work together a bouquet.

"Are you sure you don't want to throw in a rose or two? Calla Lilies might not make a strong enough point." Ino arranged the flowers with delicacy, and Sakura couldn't help but think that her blonde friend really _did_ have a talent for flower arrangement. She watched as Ino tucked a sprig of Baby's Breath and green foliage around the three, white, bell-shaped flowers.

"Well, I don't know, it might come across too strong." Sakura said with some uncertainty.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Then what's the _point_ of the flowers, silly Forehead, if you don't want them to make an impression?"

Sakura opened her mouth for a retort, and then promptly shut it tight when she realized she didn't have a comeback for that one. Ino was probably right, and Sakura hated it when that happened.

"Thought so." Ino smirked. "But that's just my two cents."

"I just don't want it to be too much, yet." Sakura said simply. "Giving flowers in itself should say _something_ at the very least."

"Speaking of which, you've failed to fill me in on the ' _who'_ and ' _what'_." Ino shot her a pointed look.

Sakura smiled guiltily; she was hoping to avoid this line of questioning.

"Well it's a long story." Sakura waved her hand in an attempt to be dismissive. Ino wasn't buying it and raised an eyebrow.

"You either pissed Tsunade-shishou off, or you like someone, and with the former I'd suggest a bottle of sake as a peace offering instead."

She watched as Ino picked up a deep-violet ribbon (the color was upon Sakura's request) and wrapped it around the light-lavender paper with which the flowers were held in.

Sakura did a little defeated laugh. "It'd be much easier on my part if it was the former. Unfortunately, no such luck." Upon seeing realization fall over Ino's face after figuring out that it was indeed _the latter,_ Sakura resigned herself to the fact that if she was going to tell anyone, it might as well be her.

"Oh my god, _who_?" Ino put her hips to her waist. "And if you tell me its either Sasuke or Naruto, I'm going to give you so much shit."

"Good, because it's neither." Sakura sighed exasperatedly.

" _Lee?!_ "

"No!"

"Did you finally fall for Kakashi-sensei?!" Ino all but shrieked.

"Ino!" Sakura managed to snicker, playfully shoving at Ino's arm. "He's _old!_ "

"I'm running out of options here." Ino groaned.

Sakura noticed that the flowers were finished. She smiled softly while she pulled a little card out of her bag and handed it to Ino. Understanding that it was the note to be attached to the bouquet, Ino took it and spared it a quick glance. There was a pause.

"You're kidding." Ino said with a look so serious that Sakura thought Ino might poke around in her brain to check if she _was._

* * *

A few moments later, she was power-walking with a bouquet clutched in her hand.

Sakura was a successful, dangerous and self-confident kunoichi. At least most of the time. As it was, right now, she was successful and dangerous, but not exactly self-confident. For all her skill in breaking bones and putting them back together, she vaguely wondered if there was such a convenient jutsu for the heart. Hopefully she wouldn't be needing it anytime soon, and hopefully she'd stop thinking like a teenager because she was coming close to where she'd find the recipient of her lilac-and-white bouquet.

She continued to walk down the path which led to an empty clearing near the outskirts of the Hyuuga compound. If memory served, Hinata spent her free time alone here to either train or meditate. Sakura felt some hesitation; she didn't want to intrude.

But she'd already gone all this way, and _damn_ —fine, she'll just do it.

"S—Sakura-chan?" A timid voice called out before Sakura could find her.

Shifting her gaze to the direction of the voice, she spotted the familiar outline of Hinata's back and long hair. She sat crossed legged on the grass, and Sakura wondered how she'd been spotted before realizing; _right, of course—Byakugan._

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Hinata." Sakura smiled warmly, tension and nervousness melting away at the sight of the Hyuuga heiress. When she saw Hinata return her smile in kind, a little something twisted in on itself in her stomach and Sakura's smile broke to a grin. "I just wanted to come out and see you. I hope you aren't in the middle of anything?"

Hinata flushed in her usual way and stammered a little. "It's okay. I was just meditating to relax, but company would be nice." She said timidly. "Those are lovely flowers." Hinata's eyes fell to the bouquet in Sakura's hand and Sakura felt a little warmth that she liked them.

" _Ano…_ I'm glad you like them. Here." She held them out, a little faster than she anticipated to. Hinata gave her a confused look, but she looked delighted nonetheless. She tentatively took the bouquet and glanced inquiringly at Sakura.

"For m-me?" Hinata flushed when Sakura nodded and flipped the little card which held her name. "What for?"

"For… no reason, really." Sakura rubbed the back of her neck. In an anxious attempt to steer the conversation away from her gesture and to something else, she blurted out: "So, tell me, what do you do out here?"

Hinata told Sakura about how she's been coming here since they were genin just to sit and think. Sakura continued to listen to Hinata's reserved story-telling, noticing the way Hinata's posture straightened when she finally felt comfortable. This wasn't exactly their first time alone (and Sakura's sudden romantic interest in Hinata had to come from _somewhere_ ). She'd known about Hinata's hiding spot because Hinata _told_ her about it over a conversation some time during the war. She could say they were close friends, although not exactly the same as how she and Ino were. There was always an air of mystery to the shy Hyuuga heir; and at some point, Sakura had begun itching to find out more.

The more she found out, the more she marveled. Hinata was, to Sakura, the purest of souls in every sense of the word. She was kind, lacking in confidence a bit too much for her own good, and she cared about the people around her from the bottom of her heart. Her eyes were gentle, and she suspected her fingertips were, too. Her hair was the same color as the sky at night and she'd wondered if she'd get to run her hands through it one day. Sakura felt her lips twitch upwards in a smile. When Hinata's little parts were added up to a whole she was simply… _beautiful._

"Sakura-chan?"

And, fuck, she'd just been caught staring.

"Yes?" Sakura blinked out of her daze.

When Hinata lifted a hand to cover her mouth and giggle, Sakura's lopsided smile made a quick reappearance. "You're out of it today, aren't you?" The dark-haired girl said good-naturedly.

"I—Uh, yeah, I guess." She said sheepishly.

Hinata chuckled again and Sakura shot her an inquisitive look.

"It's usually _me_ who stutters." Silver eyes dropped to look at the ground in shyness, albeit hiding bemusement.

Sakura couldn't help it. _That_ was adorable. But she shook her head lightly, and prodded Hinata to continue the conversation she was so rude as to space out on.

There was a sort of melancholy mixed in Hinata's narration, especially when the topic darted around her family. Hinata wasn't an open book, that was for sure, but she wasn't as closed-off as most people thought, Sakura realized. Maybe it was because no-one bothered; perhaps except Kiba and Shino, but that was a given. Sakura enjoyed this side of Hinata. She was still timid, shy and sweet Hinata, but after some encouraging and genuine interest, she'd stutter less and speak her mind. Hinata actually looked relieved to have someone to talk to about all these.

Sakura was, at the moment, perfectly content to be that person if she needed it.

"But thank you for these again, Sakura-chan." Hinata held the bouquet fondly. "I don't think anyone's ever walked up to me and handed me flowers before."

 _We're going to have to change that._ "It's nothing, the lovely flowers suit you." Sakura said, blushing a little at her attempt to walk on the tightrope between friendly and flirtatious.

Hinata looked a little lost at that; but smiled shyly anyway. That damn smile. Sakura's palms started to sweat a little. "I hate to cut it short here b-but, it's getting pretty late, Sakura-chan."

A little disappointed, Sakura looked at the sky. Hinata was right; the sun was starting to set. Although they were old and able enough to take care of themselves after dark, Hinata might have had plans and Sakura had imposed herself enough as it is. "Mm, you're right. I'm sorry for keeping you out." She said solemnly.

"Oh, it's okay!" Hinata flushed, probably afraid that she'd put Sakura off or offended her. "It's no trouble; I just really need to be heading back."

Sakura smiled at Hinata warmly to placate her fussing. "We're good, we're good." She laughed. Then gulped while her laugh slipped into more of a tentative, nervous smile. "Ah, Hinata, maybe you could... go out with me tomorrow? Over lunch? Talking with you has been lovely."

Hinata seemed to beam, to her relief. "That's sounds like a great idea, Sakura-chan."

"Ichiraku Ramen?"

"Sounds good." Hinata said timidly before reminding Sakura that she really needed to go. "See you! That place always reminded me of Naruto-kun." She said light-heartedly before a final wave goodbye and walking off.

Somehow, Sakura's chest throbbed. _Naruto?_ _Well fucking ouch._

* * *

When Sakura was finished pacing around the flower shop with a parade of frustrated expletives, Ino finally spoke up.

"Did you tell her it was a date?"

"Well, _no._ But I did ask if she could go out with m-"

"It's _Hinata._ You need to spell it out for her." Ino practically scolded. "And _Ichiraku Ramen?_ What the fuck. Who are you, Naruto?"

"Ugh, _Naruto."_ Sakura winced, both at Ino's reprimand at the mention of Naruto. She bore no ill-will towards her precious teammate, and would still take a kunai through the heart for him any day, but a jealous girl would be a jealous girl no matter what you said about friendship. It was going so well, she felt that Hinata was open to her, and that their time alone didn't feel uncomfortable at the slightest; it was all going so well except for that little mishap at the end. But could she blame Hinata? If she was trying to ask a girl out, she should have picked somewhere which _didn't_ remind her of a boy she used to be in love with. And, yes, ' _used to be_ ' because now wasn't the time to be entertaining thoughts on whether or not Hinata might still be in love with Naruto after all. She'd fallen pretty bad once, and if she could get over _Sasuke_ , anyone could get over anyone.

" _Sakura._ Snap out of it." Ino poked her at the forehead, and Sakura swatted the offending hand away reflexively.

"Sorry... I was just thinking. And I picked Ichiraku cause I wanted it to be casual, okay? Nothing to scare her away."

"You want to go on a _date_ with her. It's not _supposed_ to be casual." Ino sighed in exasperation. "You're never going to get the point across if you do things half-baked, idiot!"

A vein ticked against Sakura's forehead. "What am I supposed to do, kneel down and confess undying affection?!"

"I'd actually pay to be there to watch."

At this, Sakura playfully punched Ino on the shoulder. "Help me out a bit here."

"Aren't I?" Ino gave her a look, hands firmly planted on her waist. "At the very least, listen to what I say. You go on a rampage and start breaking things when you don't get your way, and I _don't_ want to deal with your shit; so we're going to have to get you your Hyuuga-babe one way or another."

Sakura couldn't repress a snicker and an eye-roll. " _'Hyuuga-babe'_ now, really?"

"Yes, really, now get your ass over here and start picking flowers."

* * *

 **This was really supposed to be a one-shot, but then I'm not sure if all my ideas were going to fit in just one chapter that didn't feel draggy. Stay tuned for more, and I hope you leave some reviews if you liked it. Thanks guys!  
**


	2. Ramen, Amen!

**Lo and behold, the 2nd Chapter!**

* * *

Sakura was all but horrified when she arrived at the ramen stall, delicately clutching a single sunflower, to find that Hinata was already there and that coincidentally Shikamaru was there with her. Hinata timidly called her over (and—to Sakura's relief—scooted away from Shikamaru); she had saved her a seat. Sakura smiled, flushing as she said thank you to Hinata, and waved a polite greeting towards Shikamaru who promptly nodded in return. Sakura was thankful for his ability to mind his own business but couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable: he was as sharp as was Naruto dense and would _probably_ find her out.

But back to the matter at hand: Hinata. Sakura swallowed as she looked up to the dark-haired woman who sat beside her. She looked a little flush, likely due to the noon-time heat, and skimmed through the menu with an idle smile as though there wasn't much else that mattered at the moment. Funnily enough, Sakura was watching her with an identical look.

"W-What will you be having, Sakura-chan?" Silver orbs locked with Sakura's, and she flushed ever so _slightly_.

"Ah. My usual, pork miso with an extra serving of vegetables." Sakura, by her association to Naruto, was a respectable patron of Ichiraku Ramen herself. Hinata giggled at the automaticity of her order, and returned to her avid inspection of the menu for whatever would catch her interest. When the decision (which was beef and sliced eggs, _also_ with additional vegetables) was made, a lull of mild silence fell over the two women while they waited for their orders. Sakura was the first to break it, commenting on how she liked Hinata's hair so much better at its current length (she felt a bit bashful at first, but the way Hinata blushed while she stuttered her thanks was enough to tug on Sakura's heart strings). Hinata was a little more reserved here than she was back at the forest clearing, but Sakura held Shikamaru's presence and that fact that they were in public accountable for that. Small talk was easy when it was with Hinata, and somehow Sakura just didn't run out of things to say or ask about. To her delight, the Hyuuga heiress was as fond of reading as she was; and to her surprise, her topic of choice usually revolved around the history and tactics of the past Great Shinobi Wars.

"I never would have guessed." Sakura admitted, pleased and intrigued.

"Well, I don't really t-talk much so… I guess there's not much to expect." Hinata said in a small voice, self-conscious of Sakura's appraisal and shrinking into her seat.

"Well, I think it's fascinating." Sakura said with a tender look in her eyes, casually reaching over to give Hinata's free hand a squeeze. "It's nice to see you open up like this."

But alas, luck wasn't on Sakura's side today, and the tender moment was forced to break apart when Ayame-san dropped two, steaming and delicious bowls of ramen right in front of them. Hinata giggled at Sakura's startled reaction, for which Sakura felt herself flush from a bit of embarrassment.

A soft 'poke' at her side caught her attention once again. "Sakura-chan," Hinata said with a little, soft, bemused smile which Sakura felt she could stare at all day. " _Eat._ "

"Y—Yeah." The medic-nin smiled apologetically at her inattention, and in a smooth motion ("Itadakimasu!"), broke her chopsticks and began to dig in. Small talk was resumed in-between bites, and Sakura was sinking deeper into a feeling that could only be described as a warm cup of chocolate on a cold, overcast morning with a wool blanket around the shoulders. When Hinata smiled, her smile was automatic in return; when Hinata laughed, Sakura found herself trying harder—but then it didn't even _feel_ that hard at all. In the middle of a surprisingly sarcastic comment from Hinata, Sakura snickered and choked on a mouthful of noodles in its humor. Hinata (with no medical experience whatsoever) had gone absolutely frantic, and after Sakura pushed it down with a glass of water she was amused to see that it was _Hinata_ who needed calming down instead of her. She'd slung an arm around the Hyuuga's shoulders and lightly tapped her fingers, smiling as she coaxed the timid girl to finish her food because she was okay, _damn it;_ around her she's _never been better._

"That was great." Hinata said in a rare, satisfied voice while she leaned onto the counter top and set a hand on her belly. Sakura repressed the urge to tickle at Hinata's side and simply watched as the other woman drew a long, contented sigh that almost sounded like a purr. In a matter of seconds, Hinata seemed to frown and Sakura was ready to ask what was wrong when—did she just burp? My god, that was _adorable._ The medic-nin made an amused, snorting sort of sound and Hinata, so typical of her, turned tomato red. "S—Sakura-chan!"

"Well I'm glad to know you liked the food." Sakura's lopsided, idiotically _smitten_ smile was back in full-force before she gently laid a hand on Hinata's wrist when she saw the other girl fumble around to find change. Blushing, Sakura untied the words jumbling at the tip of her tongue: "Hey, lunch is on me today."

Hinata, who was still recovering from her initial blush, just blinked at her with a curious and surprised expression before nodding slowly and stuttering out her thanks ("Are you sure, though? I—It was _my_ meal so…" she had followed up). Sakura was adamant and reassured her it was no trouble. She'd do it again. She'd do it as much as she could. Hinata could buy herself lunch, Sakura knew, but she wanted to buy this beautiful girl lunch and she was _damn well_ going to. After another profuse round of gratitude, Hinata gasped, blushed (albeit much milder), and with a guilty look on her face turned to look the opposite direction of Sakura.

"Sh-Shikamaru-kun!" She stuttered. "How rude of us to have barely conversed with you!"

"Don't trouble yourself," Shikamaru replied with a laid-back smirk. "I'm here for some alone time—don't mind me."

Sakura was so caught up in Hinata that she had _completely_ forgotten about him and barely noticed he was _there._ When Sakura faced him to mumble out a sort of apology, Hinata had returned to face her, and from over Hinata's back, Shikamaru locked his gaze with Sakura's. He smirked, winked at her direction and gave her a quick thumbs-up.

'Got you covered.' He mouthed before pointing towards Hinata. Sakura didn't know if she was going laugh, groan, high-five him, or fall off of the barstool.

"Sakura-chan." Hinata gently held her arm. "Shall we go?"

Pushing thoughts of Shikamaru aside, she nodded and got up, offering to accompany Hinata back to the Hyuuga compound. They walked a leisurely pace, talking about anything and everything ("Remember back when we were genin?" Hinata had brought up when a trio of youngsters came sprinting after another one of Konoha's demon-domesticated-cats). Sakura commented on the weather and told Hinata about how Tsunade-shishou _hated_ the way her Hokage monument made her look _'older_ '; Hinata couldn't help but giggle at this, recounting how odd it was to watch her father be treated like a child every time he had business with the young-looking Hokage. When they entered the wealthier district of Konoha where the Hyuuga compound could be found, things had gotten markedly quieter and Sakura noticed that the stark afternoon heat was starting to dissipate. The sound of rustling leaves and a light, peaceful breeze was enough to put their silence at ease, but before Hinata could continue, Sakura reached for her wrist again.

"Ah, Hinata?" Sakura, for the _nth_ time in within forty-eight hours, felt a little nervous twitch at the pit of her stomach and did her best not to let it show. Hinata was a complicated person: a little fragile and easy to scare, but at the same time wouldn't dare put someone off or step on another person's feelings. Sakura had to make sure Hinata's accommodation wasn't out of politeness, and she wanted to be sure that Hinata actually _enjoyed_ her time with her. But once again, Sakura steeled her resolve. "You might not have noticed me holding it earlier, but this is for you." She gingerly handed the sunflower over. The next few worlds came out as a fast jumble: "I, uh, was hanging around at Ino's shop before we had lunch, so since I was going to see you, I thought maybe—"

"It's so lovely." Hinata held the stem delicately in her hands, and the pleasure of being the recipient of another pretty flower was glowing on her smile and cheeks.

Sakura felt a little wave of warmth when she saw the small, sudden glow of Hinata's smile. It was so _real_ and demure but entirely expressive at the same time.

Haruno Sakura arrived at a realization: She would do _anything_ for that smile.

She thought about asking Hinata out again, this time for dinner and maybe someplace more romantic (although Ichiraku Ramen wasn't _that_ hard to beat). A proper date, not a harmless and friendly lunch invitation. Maybe to one of those restaurants around this area? It would be pricier than a ramen bar, that was for sure, but a kunoichi of Sakura's status had quite the enjoyable paycheck, and there wasn't much she liked to spend on. Besides, Hinata was worth it and—

"It's really sweet, Sakura-chan." Hinata was smiling again, at _her_ this time, and Sakura's thoughts screeched to a halt: thinking could wait, as of now it was more important to concentrate on not melting down on the spot.

"Well, so are you." _Really?_ She thought to herself, cursing her lack of impressive diction and articulation when she needed it most.

Hinata looked a little bit confused but not in the very least displeased (to Sakura's relief), and she blushed. "I'm sorry again, but I need to get back home to prepare. The team and I have got a week-long mission to leave for this afternoon."

"Oh." was Sakura's disappointed response. There goes dinner sometime soon. But Hinata would be back, she just needed to be patient. "I hope all goes well with it then." She worked up a smile.

"Mm." Hinata nodded enthusiastically, and was soon twiddling the sunflower's stem with her thumbs. "Uhm… Sakura-chan?"

"Yes?"

"I—I liked spending time with you." Hinata said timidly. "Perhaps coffee to catch up when we get back?"

Sakura beamed. "That sounds perfect."

* * *

When Sakura barged in the Yamanaka Flower Shop—stupidly large grin on her face and all—she was greeted by a smug looking Shikamaru leaning back on the counter with his arms crossed.

"Oi, Ino." He called towards her best friend who was wrapping up a simple-looking bouquet. "Based on the look on Sakura's face, my help won't be needed anymore."

Ino grinned. "That smile looks wide enough to be second base. Wow, forehead, didn't think you moved so fast. So how _gentle_ is the Hyuuga fist exactly?"

"Ino!" Sakura threw Ino the nearest stem she could find, blushing profusely. "Nothing like that!"

"It was almost painful to watch," Shikamaru snickered. "Like, _two_ stuttering Hinatas in one conversation."

"Shikamaru came by for flowers and when he mentioned seeing you both, I just _had_ to ask." Ino explained. "I told him because just by looking at you, he already knew."

Sakura already expected this, but still shot Ino an exasperated look which screamed 'betrayal'. But Ino was probably right, Shikamaru would know, and it was better _him_ at the ramen shop than either Naruto or Kiba. Curiously enough, the bouquet Shikamaru ordered was wrapped an extra plastic layer, and had a sort of rubber tube (which Sakura assumed would hold water) attached to the stems at the bottom. Shikamaru tossed his bills, thanked Ino and gave Sakura a clap on the back on his way out.

"Make sure you refill the tube everyday; it gets pretty warm in Suna." Ino called out.

"Suna?" Sakura's eyes widened. "You mean—"

"Mhmm." Ino smirked. "You aren't the _only_ wolf on the prowl. I should get paid for this."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Don't you?"

"The flowers, yes. And that money goes to my _mother_ , not me. But if I had few hundred ryo for every word of advice..." Ino sighed dramatically.

"If by 'advice' you mean verbal harassment of people's flirting skills?" Sakura laughed in good-nature.

"I give it cause they need it, hun." Ino smirked. "Now, _spill._ "

"Well I didn't get to ask her out to dinner cause she's leaving for a week-long mission…" Sakura started.

"And? There _has_ to be an 'and', because if there wasn't and that was it, you would be cursing and breaking things and faces instead of grinning like a complete moron."

"And, well, _she_ asked to have coffee when they get back!" Sakura grinned, blushing profusely and doing her best to contain the giddiness which she could feel bouncing in her system.

To Ino's credit, she looked genuinely happy for her friend. "Thank God," she joked. "Konoha isn't ready for a week of your bitchiness."

Sakura punched her playfully, but laughed nonetheless. She could wait.

* * *

 **It's a delight to see CaptJackS again! Thank you so much for your support.  
**

 **The next chapter will revolve around a cozy cup of coffee, and a little bit of disaster...could Hinata make it better? It seems to be going well for Sakura, _for now._ **

**_ALSO:_ Even if this is an HinaSaku fic my InoSaku shipper heart can't contain its feels even if I'm BFF!Shipping them right now. **


	3. Thank you, Sakura

**Hello! Since I've delayed updating this story for a ridiculously long time, here's a really long chapter of it! I'm sorry about the absence. I needed to adult (aka - find my first job and a place to stay).**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

 **Ino POV**

"Are you sure you don't want to change the color scheme?" Ino asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well—no. I don't know; you know better than me when it comes to these flower things." Sakura ran a hand through her pink hair, looking a little bit queasy.

" _Sakura_." Ino almost laughed, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you? She's been away for just a _week_ and you look like a frazzled genin all over again."

"It's just, I don't know." The other kunoichi bit her lip. "This is the third time we'll be spending time together and I _really_ want to kick it up a notch."

Ino looked her friend over with a smug little smirk. The Shinobi world would be amused to know that one of the legendary 'sannin'—they had inherited the title from their masters—was flustered like a teenage girl over a _date_. Sakura had picked out two kinds of flowers for today's arrangement: white Hibiscus and violet Hyacinths. So very Hinata. To her credit, though, they meant 'delicate beauty' and 'sincerity' respectively, and that was a good message to send to a soft-hearted woman like the Hyuuga heir.

"Have some dignity, Forehead, there's no room for self-doubt within my flower shop." Ino quipped, flicking at the rhombus on Sakura's forehead.

"Ow." Sakura rolled her eyes, swatting the hand away.

"Oh, _please_. Your huge forehead can take more than that."

Sakura looked about ready to give Ino hell for that one, but she was cut off by the telling 'ring' of the store bell and the door tentatively creaking open.

"O-oh." A timid, surprised gasp met the two women. Ino smirked, she was absolutely _sure_ that Sakura gulped.

"Hinata—you're back!" The pink-haired medic didn't even try to hide the mixture of nervousness and pleasure.

"Yeah, I just arrived and… I uh, had some f-flowers ordered from Ino-san. I was just passing by to pick them up." Hinata said kindly, looking down at her feet while she fiddled around with her thumbs.

Sakura shot Ino a questioning glare and blonde only shrugged in reply. _'There was a Hyuuga servant here yesterday, they come around this time every year—I didn't know it was for her!'_ She telepathically supplied.

"Ah. I see." Sakura said with a little smile, directing the reply to both her best friend and to Hinata.

"Hinata-chan," Ino cheerily greeted. "Was this the order placed by Ko-san?"

"Mm." Hinata nodded with a small smile, looking a little bit like a mouse caught in a trap. Was there something she was particularly nervous about?

Ino nodded, and then she went to take the prepared bouquet from the backroom. She debated on whether or not she should stop hurrying and give them some 'alone time' or save Sakura from the discomfort of having been caught off guard by the woman of her affection.

She snorted, deciding on the latter—it was too much fun to watch Sakura squirm.

She found the package labeled for 'Hyuuga Ko' and quickly returned to the storefront. The initial nervousness had melted away and the two women were engrossed in effortless small talk about Hinata's mission. Ino took a moment to observe. Hinata had a light flush on her cheeks, but that wasn't exactly anything out of the norm. Slight stuttering, reserved speech, excessive shyness, but still offering genuine smiles—they were all symptoms of liking someone. But at the same time they were all typical characteristics of Hinata. Ino hummed to herself, deciding that this wouldn't be so easy to figure out. Sakura, on the other hand… well, Ino tried not to snicker. She was _smitten pretty_ with a lopsided smile and hearts in her eyes. Ino was honestly surprised when Sakura first told her about Hinata. I mean, really, who wouldn't be? Where had Sasuke's place in her life gone all of a sudden? Since when was she _not straight?_ But she was happy because she loved Sakura like a sister and Sasuke had never made her smile like this before.

Sakura said something funny, and Hinata covered her mouth in a little giggle. _Yup,_ Ino thought when her friend broke into another soft smile. _Sakura's a goner._

"Ahem." She hated to break the moment. "Ko-san had already paid for these, but make sure to give them to whomever they're for within the day, or at least make sure to prepare a vase with water, because they might begin wilting—weather's been pretty hot."

"T-Thank you, Ino-san!" Hinata gave her another shy smile, bowing slightly. She muttered a quick farewell to the two women before making her to way to the door.

"Ah—Hinata?" Sakura blurted out.

The raven-haired woman looked over her shoulder and paused.

"Uhm. So are we, uh. Still on? For coffee, I meant."

"Y-Yeah!" Hinata cheerfully replied. "Is after lunch alright?"

"Sounds perfect." Sakura smiled, and Hinata was on her way.

Sakura let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, and Ino outright laughed.

"So are your panties still on?"

"Ino, I swear, I'm going to punch your counter in half."

* * *

"Th-those look so lovely!" Hinata looked so surprised, it almost made Sakura feel bad. Did she not think herself good enough to receive a lovely bouquet? "You didn't have to—"

"I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your company." Sakura said, looking straight into Hinata's eyes before tearing her gaze away with a light dusting of pink on her cheeks.

The café, which was located near the district where the Hyuuga compound resided, wasn't crowded and had soft, subtle lighting for a smoother ambiance.

"That's very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Sakura-chan." Hinata mumbled, feeling self-conscious but smiling anyway. "Hm." Hinata suddenly tilted her head, leaning in closer to take a look at _something_ on Sakura's face. "I never remembered your eyes to be that dark."

Sakura felt herself flush. The smell of coffee tickled at their senses, and the dim lighting was probably dilating her pupils. Or maybe looking at Hinata was. She didn't know—she just knew that Hinata was _very_ close, but not for long because she had already sat back. "It's probably just poor lighting. Dampens all the colors and dilates our pupils."

"Oh." Hinata blinked, and the chuckled. "That would make sense. Sorry about that."

Sakura assured her it was nothing and started prodding on to find something to talk about. Hinata asked how the hospital was, commenting that she always looked up to medic-nin who had to learn _both_ arts—taking and saving lives. Sakura told her that it wasn't easy, but it was fulfilling, and deep inside she felt warmth that Hinata respected her profession. They talked about technique that afternoon: Hinata was pretty good at chakra control herself, being a Gentle Fist user. As much as Hinata tried to explain it, Sakura couldn't wrap her mind around how Gentle Fist techniques were executed. If her Byakugo seal was any indication, it shouldn't be a matter of chakra control—she had perfect. She supposed it really _was_ a family technique, only available to elite wielders of the Byakugan. When the topic had shifted around her clan and its politics, Sakura noticed discomfort, but not disdain. She supposed this was a good thing and that things were going better for Hinata around her family, but she didn't pry any further, not wanting to put her companion off. Hinata seemed to appreciate her perceptiveness and smiled.

"Ah, which reminds me." The timid girl said weakly, fumbling around the large paper bag she was carrying with her. "I—Uh—Well, here."

"Hmm?" Sakura paused, her cup of coffee midway to her mouth. "Those are…"

"Cherry blossoms. Not too cliché?" Hinata looked at her, with a smile that was a little unsure.

Hinata was giving _her_ flowers? _That's_ what she had Ko order from Ino's?!

"How did you… they're not even in season!" Sakura set down her mug and appreciatively took the bouquet. "Thank you, Hinata." She beamed.

"You've been so sweet lately, and such good company—so since I knew we were having coffee and I'd be picking up flowers, maybe I'd get some for you." The Hyuuga stuttered out. "And Yamanaka flower shop is famous for a good reason, right?"

"Leave it to Ino to pull out miracles." Sakura chuckled, laying her palm over the back of Hinata's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "Thank you."

Hinata nodded, smiling in return. "It's not as put together as the other bouquets you gave, but—"

"Well, I think cherry blossoms suit 'Sakura' just fine." The pink-haired woman assured with a light laugh. "And I must admit, I've missed you over the week you were gone."

Hinata seemed a little surprised—was she too forward?—but she smiled and nodded, reciprocating the thought with actions instead. Then suddenly, she pulled back and checked her watch with a frown.

"Time to go?" Sakura was biting her lip, trying not to sound _too_ disappointed.

"Mm." Hinata sighed. "I have to be somewhere in a little bit. Although I would have loved to stay for longer."

"We can always just come back," Sakura reassured both herself and Hinata.

Then the other woman seemed to pause to consider something. "W—Well, unless—"

"Hm?"

"If you don't mind… maybe you can come with me?"

Sakura paused, looked at her watch, and had come to a decision. She was a hard-working and dutiful medic-nin who usually stayed for longer than her shift. So she was sure Shizune would understand if she'd need to fill in for her favorite colleague _just this once._

* * *

When Sakura saw where Hinata had taken her, she felt her heart swell. It felt, to her, more like an invitation into some private part of Hinata's heart than an invitation to a physical place.

"Hinata…" She looked up at her friend, feeling unsure of what to say. "I feel honored."

"I think he would have loved to see how much you've changed too, Sakura-chan."

Sakura nodded solemnly, casting a soft gaze on the familiar name engraved in stone.

 _ **Hyuuga Neji**_

When Hinata fumbled with her over-sized paper bag again, she pulled out a vibrant display of whites and blues and purples. She looked at the bouquet, seeing her friend's meticulous handiwork—better than most arrangements—and realized that even the brash Yamanaka Ino knew how to send her love. Hinata wordlessly set the flowers beside the grave and closed her eyes in silent prayer. Sakura followed suit, awkwardly introducing herself to Neji and paying her deepest respects.

"I didn't realize today was that day." Sakura spoke up.

Hinata shook her head. "No, it's tomorrow. But I usually come on my own the day before. It feels a lot… closer to him. Not that I don't enjoy spending time with Hanabi and the rest of Team Gai." She chuckled. That made sense though, Sakura understood. "He helped me a lot."

Sakura looked at Hinata. She was different. She didn't stutter or shy away or look at her feet benignly, she was simply there, saying 'hello' to someone she loved like a brother. There was sadness, but it wasn't quite grief. On impulse, Sakura took her hand.

Hinata eased into it and gave her a sidelong look. "I'm _okay_ , Sakura-chan." She had a small smile.

And Sakura _knew_ she was okay, and she didn't look like she was going to start crying any time soon, but longing was longing, and comfort was comfort. Hinata was longing for Neji, and Sakura was coincidentally with her to offer the comfort she needed. Hinata seemed to understand this, though, and squeezed her hand back. The dampened mood was lifted a little, and they feel into an easy conversation of their fondest memories of him ("He always kind of scared me," Sakura admitted with a sheepish laugh. Hinata laughed back with an amused, "Same. He _terrified_ me when I was little!"). However, they would be forced out of their reminiscence by the sudden pitter-patter of rain.

"Drizzling?" Sakura frowned. She didn't bring an umbrella.

"Oh, dear. We might catch a cold. I'm sorry for dragging you here—"

"Hinata." Sakura cut her off, gently grabbing onto her shoulders. "I'm _honored._ Please don't feel like you've imposed on me."

Hearing that seems to have flicked a switch in Hinata, and Sakura felt hands hold on to hers and she squeezed, comforting the woman whose lower lip had begun lightly trembling. "Thank you." Hinata said over a whisper.

Sakura didn't know what to say, but the moment was cheesy and they were holding hands, so maybe she'd be lucky enough to get away with a—she licked her lips and leaned in—kiss on the cheek.

Somehow, Hinata didn't look _that_ surprised. She was, however, blushing like a tomato and was starting to shiver from the soaking rain. Hoping that Hinata wouldn't misinterpret, Sakura dared to ask: "Well… I live nearby and we're soaking wet." She laughed. "Do you want to stay over for dinner?"

* * *

"I feel like I've brought you one unexpected inconvenience after another, Sakura-chan." Hinata chuckled apologetically, accepting the warm cup of tea that the medic-nin offered. She was wrapped in one of Sakura's wool blankets, wearing a spare set of training clothes which was also lent to her.

"Nonsense," The other woman almost scolded. "You can't possibly expect me to leave you soaking and freezing. That's a perfect recipe to come down with a cold."

"I've probably said 'Thank you' more times today than any other." Hinata took a sip, hoping that Sakura really _did_ know how thankful she was for all this. She wanted to let Sakura know that she felt so very _safe_ around her, that she thought her hands were warm and she liked the way they were calloused and a bit rough—it meant she worked hard to be who she is, and it proved that punching boulders into dust wasn't something you learned to do overnight.

"You're welcome anytime," Sakura said with a light laugh, turning her back on Hinata to walk towards the stove. She put on a low flame and stirred the contents of a pot before putting a lid on it and setting a kitchen timer for twenty minutes. "I hope you can wait a bit wile I heat dinner up."

"Mm." Hinata replied curtly, swirling the cup in her hand absent-mindedly and watching its contents churn.

Deciding that she didn't want to be useless, she set her tea down and looked around for something to help with. She saw that Sakura had put aside some vegetables; she was probably going to put that into the soup once it was hot enough. Hinata washed her hands and picked the vegetables up to lightly rinse them. She set them back down and struggled to find a chopping board. Sakura reluctantly showed her where the kitchenware was ("Sakura-chan, at least let me do _something_!") and Hinata proceeded to chop the vegetables.

Being the heiress of the esteemed Hyuuga Clan, cared for and pampered since the day she was born, Hinata was absolutely terrible at it.

Sakura, who looked over her shoulder to observe, couldn't help the snicker that escaped her lips. "So there _is_ something that Hyuugas aren't good at."

Hinata spun around and there was actually a look of _indignation_ on her face. So rare was the sight that Sakura blinked a few moments before it registered, and then she started laughing.

"S—Sakura-chan!" Hinata sputtered, turning a little red. "I'm trying…"

"Let me help," The pink-haired ninja said between snickers, walking lightly over to Hinata's side—incredibly close, at that—and showing her how to properly hold a knife. "Stop holding it like a sword." She chuckled.

Hinata obediently observed, mimicking the way Sakura held the knife and trying it out on the vegetables.

"And stop trying to murder the poor plants!"

Hinata resigned herself to the fact that Sakura was, once again, helping her instead of the other way around. She sighed in mild annoyance at herself, and in self-consciousness from her host, but then she found herself smiling at Sakura's animated instruction. Her green eyes were sparkling, explaining the difference of mincing, dicing and cubing and why you should never peel with the knife facing towards you. Hinata couldn't help but lift a hand to cup the other woman's cheek.

"Thank you." Hinata said with a smile, looking into those green eyes as if she was searching for the answer to some unspoken question. Sakura had gone absolutely still, her cheek felt like it was burning, and her eyes had gone soft.

Hinata, recalling the way Sakura pecked her cheek earlier, leaned forward to do the same. Except halfway-through she was overcome by the urge to kiss her on the _mouth_ , and the result was a chaste peck at the corner of Sakura's faintly-glossed, cherry-flavored lips. When she pulled back, the world felt like it was paused.

"Sakura?" She mumbled, wondering if she had crossed a line. "I'm so—"

And then Sakura's nose had bumped into hers a little clumsily, and then her lips were full and pressed against Hinata's. Here eyes fluttered shut. Everything was gentle, tentative and _soft._ She felt fingers brush along her jaw and tangle themselves with the deep violet hair behind her ear.

Sakura pulled back and looked like she was going to say something when;

 **-** _ **TING**_ **-**

The kitchen alarm rang, and Hinata chuckled, dropped her arms to wrap around Sakura's waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world and looked over to the stove. "Time to put the vegetables, Sakura-chan."

* * *

When Ino, alerted by the sound of the shop bell, looked up to see who the customer was, the first thing she saw was pink. She raised an eyebrow and offered a smirk.

"When I went home last night, I happened upon Hinata walking home and wearing _your_ clothes. I was honestly expecting you to kick the door down in excitement on your way in here."

Sakura blushed and finally smiled. "Y—Yeah. I guess stuff happened."

"You sound halfway between elated and panicked."

"Because I am." Sakura sighed.

"Spill."

And she told her everything—from coffee, to the flowers, to Neji's grave and to her home. Ino nodded, listening intently.

"I don't see what the problem is."

"Well… it just _happened._ " Sakura chewed on her lip. "And don't get me wrong! I'm glad that it did, but, after the kitchen alarm went off we kind of just… pretending nothing happened?"

"Was it awkward?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Did you kiss more after?"

Sakura ran a hand through her pink hair. "No, that was it, and it was pretty much normal after that. Like we just picked up where we left off."

"Then why don't you just _talk_ to her about it? Tell her how you feel?"

"Well if she wanted me to, don't you think she'd have said something?"

"Sakura, you complete dumbass," Ino rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Don't you think _she'd_ have expected you to say something, and just didn't want to cause _you_ were acting like nothing happened, too?"

Touché. Sakura sighed for the _nth_ time. But when the worry had subsided, and she realized that, _yes_ , she just had a lip-lock with the girl she's been crushing on for a long time now, she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm just worried. After visiting Neji, she seemed a little… off. You know? Maybe she was vulnerable."

"I may not know her as well as you do, but Hinata _isn't_ the type to use people for that sort of thing." Ino pointed out. "In fact, I don't know if she's the kind of person who'd do that sort of thing with anyone at all. You've done a pretty good job of getting her out of her shell."

Ino _did_ have a point. Sakura still remembered the hilariously indignant look she gave her for teasing. It was kind of adorable. She groaned, not quite knowing what to do with herself and the situation, and walked around the counter to flop into the spare seat beside Ino.

"There there, Forehead." Ino teased, ruffling her pink hair. "You'll fix it."

"Ugh. I hope so."

"You will. I can't wait to see the day I catch Hinata staring at you with her Byakugan on."

As promised, Sakura really _did_ punch Ino's counter in half for that one.

* * *

 **So there we have it! I had originally planned for this to be cute and linear and typical but I realized that relationships don't fall on your lap so neatly, and maybe a little 'so... what _are_ we?' confused would be cute to work around. Nothing too dramatic, though. I hoped you like it and please do leave a review! Much love x  
**


	4. Interrogation Squad

**This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written for a multi-chap. Damn. I hope you enjoy!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

"I'm not sure if this is such a good idea." A tall, brown-haired man wearing a forehead protector similar to the Nidaime Hokage's stood with his arms crossed. His sentiments were directed towards a mysterious figure standing in the far end of the Hokage's office and hidden in the shadows.

"It must be done." The other man said simply, the only telling feature of his that could be seen was the glare of glasses.

"This is going to be a pain in the ass, you know that, right? Hokage-sama?" The brown-haired man pleaded, turning his head towards the direction of the aforementioned Hokage.

Hatake Kakashi merely shrugged. "If they believe it has to happen, then it has to happen."

"I mean you and I both _know_ her, there's no need for—"

"I can understand their sentiments, though." Kakashi nodded. "So I will permit it." He lifted his gaze to the direction of the brown-haired man. "And you will assist."

"W-what?! And if I refuse?"

"You cannot." The man in the shadows supplied, taking a step forward. "Why? Be—"

"Ugh, okay! I get it, I get. Fine." The brown-haired man mumbled in defeat.

"Mm." The smile could be seen on Kakashi's eyes.

* * *

"Itadakimasu!" Four voices exclaimed in unison, with Naruto's voice ringing a little louder than the others. Sakura smiled at her old friend's antics before turning to start on her own meal. Today was absolutely lovely. In fact, lately, her days have been sunshine and rainbows and everything pretty.

Hinata had that effect on her, she supposed.

She looked over to her left as Sai and Yamato-taicho fell into civil conversation—Naruto had completely ignored them in favor the ramen bowl he was consuming. "Another one, old man!"

"Got you covered, Naruto-kun!" Ayame-san answered in behalf of her father, ruffling the blonde hair of their most faithful customer before returning to her cooking.

"Sakura-chan's been in a good mood lately!" Naruto said through a mouthful of noodles. "I haven't been punched in a while!"

"Is this you asking for it?" Sakura felt a vein throb at her forehead.

"N-n-n-no! Sakura-chan, I was being happy about it!"

Sai paused as if to remember something. "I read in my books that Sakura-chan's pleasant disposition is indicative of a phenomenon called 'glowing' or 'blooming', which happens to females experiencing good fortune in their love and or sex lives."

Sakura felt her cheeks flush. I mean, technically, he wasn't _wrong._

"Love life?!" Naruto sputtered out, giving her a questioning look. "You mean, Sasuke's—"

"That ship has sailed, Naruto." Sakura deadpanned with an eye-roll. "Surprise, surprise."

Sakura sighed, the thought of Sasuke weighing her spirits down a little. She was over him. She was tired of waiting, tired of hoping. She had given so much and it was _enough._ She could let go now. Sakura still worried about him—she hoped he was okay wherever he was, she hoped he'd find the answer to the loneliness in his heart. She just couldn't be that answer anymore, not after all that. Sakura had genuinely thought that there was no one else she would love that way—she stilled loved him, the way she loved Naruto now—but lately, things have been proving her wrong.

Sometimes she would find herself thinking about it, and then she would chuckle to herself. Sakura supposed 'raven-haired and quiet' was her type.

"Over… Sasuke?" Naruto gaped. And then he grinned that signature grin of his and held a thumbs-up. "Does this mean you'll go out on a date with me now-ttebayo?"

Naruto later discovered that his second bowl of ramen wasn't as fulfilling with a bleeding nose.

"Hm." Sakura turned to give their team captain a look. "Yamato-taicho, you're awfully quiet."

"Huh?" Yamato had this undiscernible look on his face, but the kunoichi could recognize hints of anxiousness.

"Is everything alright?"

"Of course!" He smiled exaggeratedly, patting Sai on the shoulder with a laugh. "Right, Sai?"

"The obvious strain and forcefulness of your smile indicates that it is a fake one, Yamato-taicho." Sai tilted his head.

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Yamato waived his hand around, shooting a look to the black-eye Naruto had sustained and gulping. "Anyway, Sakura."

"Hm?"

"If Sai is correct, then who's the lucky gentleman?" He teased.

Ayame-san, who had passed by to hand Naruto his _third_ bowl and Yamato his second, giggled softly. "I'm not sure if you're asking the right questions, Yamato-san."

"Eh?" Naruto looked up with a confused face. Sai quietly observed.

"I mean there isn't exactly a lucky gentle _man_ , right Sakura-chan?" Ayame-san gave her a quick wink, which Sakura returned with eyes full of ' _oh my god, no, please—don't. Shush. Let me handle this.'_

Luckily, Ayame-san was quick to get the memo and made a quick exit after a rushed 'oops' and 'sorry'. Sakura looked to her teammates to assess the damage, and was surprised that Ayame-san seemed to _know_. Then again, who was she kidding? Hinata and Sakura have been frequenting Ichiraku's as of late, and it wasn't _too_ hard to figure the pink-haired kunoichi out. Yamato raised an eyebrow, likely picking up on the hint. Sai was too hard to read, but she wasn't sure if the emotionally-impaired man would be perceptive enough to figure that one out. Naruto just stared at her expectantly, waiting for an explanation of sorts.

"Well," Sakura took a deep breath. There was no use hiding it from Team Seven. "I guess you could say Ayame-san is right."

"So there _isn't_ anyone you like right now?" Naruto looked even more confused. "But I thought you—"

"Naruto, Ayame-san said there was no _gentleman._ "

"So there's a _rough_ man?!" Naruto looked surprised and a little scandalized. "Ne, Sakura-chan, I never pegged you to be the type to be into th—"

"WHAT?! NO!" Sakura screeched. "NARUTO, YOU— _SHANNARO_!"

Yamato paled, and Sai actually visibly gulped.

"Naruto-kun," the artist mumbled. "You resemble a panda a little, with those two black-eyes."

"So much pain." Naruto muttered in a daze.

"As I was saying," Sakura growled out before taking a deep breath and composing herself and her temper. "There isn't… exactly, a _guy._ You know."

" _Oh._ " Was all Sai and Yamato could manage. Naruto stared at Sakura for what felt like an eternity before suddenly jumping to his feet with a glorious jaw-drop.

" _OH._ "

"Ugh, finally." Sakura groaned.

"What—Since when?!— _Who?!_ " He sputtered.

This time, all anger had vanished and the legendary Haruno Sakura of herculean strength was blushing. "Well… You kind of know her."

"We do?!" Naruto grabbed her by the collar. "Sakura-chan! Stop stalling! I'm dying to know!"

" _Dying_ to know?" Sakura lifted an eyebrow, and this effectively drove Naruto back. "Better. Anyway, yeah. You guys do."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "You were gay for Ino this whole time weren't you!"

"Idiot! Stop screaming!"

"So you are?!"

"No!"

"Then who?!"

"I swear you are such a—" Sakura's temper flared. "Naruto, it's _Hinata!_ Now will you calm the fuck down?!" The pink-haired kunoichi was practically strangling her teammate. Then she realized that she'd _screamed_ that one out and that Naruto's nose seemed to be bleeding from more than just the beat-up. His eyes were glazed over and he was mumbling something along the lines of, 'wow' and 'that is actually incredibly hot'.

Huffing in annoyance, she let go of Naruto's neck when she heard someone clear his throat from behind.

"Yamato-taichou?"

"Sakura, I'm really sorry for this." He looked nervous.

"What? What are you—"

"Mokuton: Shichuro no Jutsu! (Wood Style: Four Pillar Prison Jutsu)"

* * *

When Sakura came to, the first thing she noticed was a bright light. As her vision returned to focus, she observed that the light was a low-hanging ceiling lamp and that she was in a dark room. She tried to run a hand through her hair only to find her arms held in place by Yamato's Mokuton bindings. Irked that someone thought _that_ was going to be enough to restrain her, she was about to undo them when she realized that if this was _Yamato's_ doing, she probably wasn't in any immediate danger and this was another ill-orchestrated and terribly-timed prank of some sort.

"Yamato-taicho, come out. Was this Kakashi-sensei's idea?" She called, annoyed.

Silence.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura called out, patience rapidly running thin. She did _not_ have time for this. She had a job, and she needed to be _there_ and not here.

"Please cooperate." A low, formal voice suddenly cut through the air and Sakura felt a presence walking closer to her. "Why? Because things will be much easier without resistance."

"Shino?" The kunoichi frowned—he was one of the last people she'd expected to find here. Soon, there was a low, canine growl and an arrogant scoff.

"We don't want to rough you up too much, Sakura, so it'd be best to listen to him."

She recognized the voice and manner of speaking to be Kiba, and so it follows that the threatening growl was just Akamaru, although she never recalled a time when the dog was openly hostile towards her.

"Rough _me_ up?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Hah! Don't sound so cocky; sensei got you knocked-out good with her genjutsu, didn't she?" He offered her a wolfish grin. In all honesty, Kiba and Sakura haven't had time to get to know each other like the rest of them, but she knew at this point that he was like Naruto in some ways, and like Sasuke in others—easily provoked, hopelessly overconfident and had one of the biggest hearts in the village. If she was right about him in that regard, then she had an idea or two on how best to act in this situation.

Sakura almost missed an important fact while getting lost in her thoughts. "Sensei? _Kurenai-sensei_ is in on this?"

"Of course. Why? Because she values our team as much as we do." Shino nodded sagely.

Sakura blinked, then looked at Kiba. "Does he always explain things like that?"

Kiba just sighed. "More than a decade of Konoha 13*, and you haven't figured that out?"

Well, she supposed she just never noticed. But sensitivity told her that Shino wouldn't want another reminder of how things about and around him were easily forgotten, so Sakura chose to steer the topic towards the most pressing issue at hand: "So am I going to know whose idea this is?"

"Ours, of course." Kiba growled, suddenly learning in towards her and holding up a—a flash light? What the hell, was this some kind of interrogation?

"State your business with Hinata." Shino demanded.

"Seriously?" Sakura was caught off guard and mildly annoyed. " _That's_ what this is about?"

"What else?! What do you think you're doing, screwing around like that!" Kiba demanded, pointing the light at her face and practically growling at her.

"First of all," She said firmly. "Get that thing _off_ of my face! Second, there is no _screwing around_ that's happening, what the hell?"

"So she's _nothing_?!"

Sakura watched as the boys got visibly agitated, and cursed her choice of words.

"No, not— _nothing_. But I'm not entirely sure if there's _something_!" She said exasperatedly.

"Then what the _hell_ are you doing?!" Kiba exploded, and Shino's face was contorted into a disapproving frown. "You think it's _okay_ to just prance and around and give her kisses and not so much as _reassure_ the poor girl?!"

Sakura sputtered. Suddenly there were a hundred thoughts swimming in her head and she didn't know where to start. Hinata needed _reassurance?_ It was _Sakura_ who was swimming in uncertainty this whole time! The medic wasn't exactly subtle with her advances, and if even Ayame-san could pick up on her feelings then how could Hinata miss? In hindsight, maybe she _should_ have at least said something, but she felt that there was no point in words when her actions blatantly shouted it all out. The fact that Hinata never so much as brought the topic up made Sakura feel like she wasn't ready to talk about her feelings, and she could respect that.

"She… told you about that?" Was all Sakura managed to say.

"Of course she did!" Kiba huffed, calming down from his outburst and putting the flash light away. "Hinata doesn't have any older brothers, but she's got us." He pointed a thumb to himself. "Who else would she tell? Ino's _your_ best friend."

That made sense. Suddenly, Sakura was a lot less frustrated with being tied down to a wooden chair and more understanding of where the boys were coming from.

"So tell us what you feel about her. Why? Because if you are simply using her to distract yourself from Sasuke, then I suggest you—"

"Don't." A simple, dangerous growl. "Don't you dare put it that way, Aburame."

That seemed to satisfy the stoic man and he said no more.

There was a lull of silence and Sakura struggled to figure out how to explain this to them. Looking at it from their—and Hinata's—point of view, she supposed it _was_ pretty frustrating. After the incident of the 'kitchen counter kiss', they felt no awkwardness or immediate need to talk about things. She was actually going to question it, to tell Hinata that she liked her and would love to date her, but the kitchen alarm went off and Hinata just… _held_ her like that and carried on.

So Sakura played along. She wasn't in a rush… right?

They saw each other a couple of times the following week. They would have lunch at Ichiraku's and lightly laugh at each other's jokes, they would walk around the shopping district holding hands and blushing lightly, and when Sakura walked Hinata home she would have an internal debate on whether or not she should give Hinata an innocent hug or lean in to kiss her goodnight—every single time, Hinata would beat her to it and give her a kiss on the cheek. And every single time, Sakura smiled and wondered why she never a got a kiss on the lips again.

But then, she supposed that since Sakura was the first one to make all the advances, Hinata would have expected her to at least say _something._ The fact that Sakura paused and didn't make any moves while debating on their goodnight kiss probably looked to Hinata like she wasn't even going for a hug.

But at the same time, she'd give her flowers almost every time and tell her she was lovely. That counted for something, right? The Yamanaka flower shop was probably thriving off of her orders alone.

"She tells me you are one hell of a confusing girl," Kiba broke the silence. "Like, Hinata isn't _dumb_ , you know? She's shy, yeah, she rarely speaks her mind but she isn't dense. The way you were acting screamed that you liked her, but the way you were talking didn't. What's the deal?"

"W—Well, she wasn't talking either!" Sakura replied defensively.

Shino adjusted his glasses. "She will not initiate. Why is this? Because Hinata is not one to take initiative, especially in situations foreign to her."

Hearing this, Sakura realized that this is probably the closest Hinata has ever gone to dating anyone and she suddenly kind of felt guilty. She may have overdone 'taking things slow' and 'not rushing'.

"Do you _genuinely_ like her?" Kiba prodded.

"Yes, I like Hinata." Sakura looked him straight in the eye and said it with so much conviction that his eyebrows lifted. "I like her, and a _lot_ too. I want to see her walk a little straighter and laugh a little louder, if that makes sense to you."

They grunted in agreement—these were two people who understood what Hinata needed more than even Sakura did.

"And I hate it when I do something nice for her and she seems surprised. I want to look after her, but at the same time I know she's strong on her own, so I don't know what to do. Besides, who was I to extend my protection to her?" Sakura sighed. "It's like she doesn't realize how smart she is, or how much of a pleasure just being around her is—and I want her to know all that."

"Well, that sounds like way more than a crush." Kiba grumbled, halfway between annoyed and amused. "And you couldn't even let her know you _liked_ her."

"Bite me," She scoffed. "You think it's easy?"

They softened at the sight of her sincerity and shared a look.

"No, but she deserves it." Kiba said, uncharacteristically somber. "She's dying to know, Sakura."

Sakura blushed a little before a soft chuckle escaped her lips. "So is it safe to assume that she feels the same?"

Kiba laughed, shaking his head. "No way. You're going to have to ask her that one yourself."

* * *

"K—Kiba-kun and Shino-kun?" Hinata looked pale, and Sakura could imagine all the embarrassing scenarios playing out on her head. She chuckled because one of them was probably right.

"Yeah, it's a long story. I'll tell you later." She promised, knowing that Hinata wasn't going to be able to stand it if she kept it from her. But as per usual, Hinata was much too shy to insist and they continued walking.

It's been a few hours since Sakura was released from her 'interrogation', and the first thing she wanted to do was find Hinata. She didn't bother to pick up flowers from Ino's, or to gussy up and look pretty; she _knew_ who she needed to see and intended to find her as soon as possible.

And now, they found themselves strolling along Konoha's busier districts at sunset. She liked this hour because the sky was in so many different colors, and the street lanterns were beginning to light up. There was the rush of activity, animated conversations, the barking of market stall owners and children who had come to greet their parents after a long day of work. There was life, right before her eyes: the Will of Fire.

And since the shinobi of Konoha were imbued with this Will of Fire, Sakura pulled her guts together and reached out to hold Hinata's hand, intertwining their fingers for the first time. Hinata looked down at their hands, and then at Sakura. Hinata, with a look which Sakura couldn't figure out, looked around the area and tentatively slid her hand out of the other woman's grasp.

Sakura's heart fell for a few fleeting moments until she felt Hinata take her hand once again.

"It felt weird to have your thumb underneath mine, so I wanted to switch places." She giggled, picking up Sakura's alarm and subsequent relief.

"And here I thought I was about to get rejected." Sakura chuckled, continuing their stroll and clinging on to Hinata's hand like she would never let go. The pair wove around the crowd and stopped to look around a weapons shop—Hinata had absent mindedly wrapped her arm around Sakura's and pulled for her to follow. She smiled, biting her lip. They felt _very_ much like a couple right now, and she didn't mind one bit.

"Sakura-chan," Hinata called over, noticing that Sakura was just tailing her instead of looking around herself. "You aren't looking?"

Sakura hummed to herself as if thinking, and then continued to lock her gaze with Hinata's with a little smirk. "I am."

Hinata blushed, realizing that apparently she was being _flirted to_ , and on impulse had playfully slapped Sakura's arm in reprimand.

"Sorry, sorry." Sakura held up her hands, grinning now. Maybe she was going at it a little too forward for Hinata, but at the same time she realized this was actually kind of fun.

Hinata was giving her a certain look, as if she was making a very important decision. Then suddenly, her smile was back, and it was very near, and— _ah._ Her lips are on Sakura's cheek and gone the next second. When Sakura recovers, Hinata has already turned her back and was inspecting an interesting set of kunai while humming to herself. The medic nin didn't miss the undertones of a giggle in her voice, though.

Sakura walked forward to stand beside Hinata, resting her hand on the small of the other woman's back. Appreciating the gesture, Hinata stepped to her side a little to bring herself closer to Sakura. In response, Sakura adjusted her arm so that now it held Hinata around the waist, and they continued to stare at the weapons display, pretending to spot differences when it all looked the same to them and they just liked having an excuse to stay close like that.

"Kami-sama, please apologize to Neji for me because Sakura is hitting on Hinata under my supervision." Said a voice from the back room.

"T—Tenten-san!" Hinata stuttered before turning tomato red.

"Don't sound so surprised that I'm in my own weapons shop." She said with a smile.

"Of course." Sakura muttered, more to herself, before lightly face-palming.

"Well," Tenten walked around the corner. "See anything you like?" She turned to smirk at Sakura. " _Aside_ from Hinata, of course."

* * *

Thirty minutes and a few hundred ryo later, both women left the shop with heavier kunai pouches (and in Hinata's case, a new _tanto_ ). Sakura had automatically clung to the Hyuuga's arm, and they wondered if they should find another shop or hold back on splurging even more this evening. Frankly, Sakura didn't care what they did next, as long as she was with her. As frustrating as being kidnapped, tied down, and interrogated was, she was thankful. Kiba and Shino's words were eye-opening, and now she was sure what she wanted. Gripped by affection, Sakura slid her hand down to hold Hinata's securely.

"Hungry yet?" Hinata looked over to Sakura with such warm eyes that the latter blushed like a child. There, in the middle of a bustling street, with all the world to see them but not a care in the world, Sakura allowed herself to get lost in those white-lavender eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful?"

Hinata gasped and looked speechless. Then slowly—like the way that a fire starts from a spark, then an ember, then a flame—she _smiles._ Hinata feels a bubble in her chest from the way Sakura is looking at her, and she wonders if she's looking at Sakura the same way too. They were standing a little distance away from everyone, near the side of the road, under a lamppost. They could see the bustling street spread out in front of them. The sun was gone completely, and the yellow glow of lanterns and street lights breathed life into the night. At least, that's what they would have seen had they not been too busy sneaking glances at each other. Well, Hinata was. Sakura just continued to gaze at her with those _eyes_ that she didn't want to call 'green'. Green was too simple and straightforward of a description for something which was so wonderfully _alive._

Not bothering to wait for her reply, Sakura continued. "I think you're beautiful."

Hinata bit her lip. She was never good with words, and even worse with compliments. She blushed, attempted to stutter out a thank you, and looked at the ground with a heart that felt so full and a head that was a little dizzy.

Sakura was a little disconcerted at Hinata's reaction—she could see that Hinata really didn't know what to do. "And I think, I want to help you get used to hearing that." Sakura said, replying to the explanation Hinata didn't have to give.

"Sakura-chan…" She said breathlessly and stared, in wonder, at how someone could feel this way for _her._

"I mean it." Sakura said with conviction, biting her lip and tugging on the hand she was holding. "I want to tell you how much you mean to me without seeing you shy away from it, and—hey, look at me?" Sakura crooned softly, not wanting to overwhelm the other girl.

Hinata lifted her eyes to meet with Sakura's and she _may_ have felt her knees go weak. "Mm." She nodded.

"And if you'll let me," Sakura took a deep breath. "I'd like to show you all those parts of you that I admire so much."

Hinata was holding her breath.

"Hinata." Sakura had lifted her hands and was gently holding Hinata by her arms, making sure that Hinata would look her way and wouldn't look any other way. "I like you. A lot. And I know you probably know by now, but I think I should _say it out loud._ So it's clear. And there are no misunderstandings. And this is probably not the most romantic of places, and we're in the middle of the market place, but I just—" She sighed, trying to form the right words.

"Sakura-chan." Hinata found her voice. Her eyes were glistening, and she was smiling and lifting a hand up to cup Sakura's cheek. "I'm not quite sure if that was a confession or a hysterical ramble—" Sakura looked positively floored at that, but she continued "—but I think, it's safe to say, that I might like you too a little."

Sakura sputtered, not sure what to say because _goddammit_ was Hinata _teasing?!_ She _does_ that?! Or was she serious? She could never tell, she was usually so quiet and—

Hinata was kissing her. Her lips were soft and she smelled like vanilla. Sakura had forgotten whatever it was she was thinking of and kissed her back, softly, and she lifted her hands to settle on Hinata's shoulders so that she wouldn't fall over, but suddenly Hinata's lips were gone and Sakura was breathless and frowning.

"We're s—still in the middle of a road." Hinata, who had been teasing just a minute ago, was back to her flustered, embarrassed self. Although this time, she had a smile and a glow that Sakura would love to see on her more often.

"I guess I'm going to have to thank Kiba and Shino for talking some sense into me." The pink-haired woman said with a light laugh.

"So _that's_ what that was about." Hinata suddenly said. "They were missing during afternoon training, and I remember them telling me that Hokage-sama had given them an A-Class mission with Yamato-san and even a little bit of Kurenai-sensei's help."

Sakura felt a nerve twitch. "The Hokage, huh?"

* * *

"Yamanaka!" A pink fluff of fury barged in through Ino's storefront and slammed her palm on the counter.

"Holy shit, Sakura! You're going to give me a heart attack." Ino shrieked, recovering composure.

"Put something together for me, like, _now._ It's for Kakashi-sensei."

"Uhm—What for?"

"How do you say 'Fuck you' with flowers?"

* * *

 **And that's chapter four!**

 **The ending with the fuck-you-flowers part was an idea from the otp-prompts Tumblr account. I saw it, and I know Ino had a flower shop so I just _had_ to. **

**If there are a lot of typos or errors, I'm sorry. I'm already tire right now, but I'll be running through it again first thing tomorrow and will be updating the chapter as necessary. Thank you guys, I hope I get to hear from you!  
**


	5. It's Time To Rest x Epilogue

**This is kind of an epilogue.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

Hinata was glowing.

Not quite literally, mind you, but in the eyes of the women who shared her company, it looked a lot like she actually _was_. Her smile was wider and her posture straighter, and lately they've noticed that Hinata was initiating conversations much more often. Tsunade (who had been the one to invite this particular group out) smirked from across the table, lifting a sake dish to her lips—it looks like her beloved student knew how to keep a woman happy. Perhaps she'd tease Sakura about it when she got back. The sannin's protégé, along with two medical genin assigned for her to train, was dispatched to Iwagakure to have a good look at old man Onoki's back (he demanded that he'd be treated by only the _best_ ), and to teach the youngsters a lesson or two. At first Sakura was irked that they were sending her away for something as trivial as a backache, but eventually Shizune explained that it was an excuse to give her a vacation and time to relax—the Land of Stone's heightened seismic activity made it the land of 'wonderful hot springs', or so Jiraiya had said.

It also happened to be the perfect opportunity for Shizune and Tsunade to 'get to know' Hinata.

" _Sakura_ was stuttering?!" Tsunade almost spat her sake out, holding in a snicker.

Hinata was blushing as she told them their story, but it was nice to recall the days that lead up to Sakura's confession—the coffee dates, ramen, and stuttering with flowers.

"She wanted to go to _Ichiraku's_ for your first date?!" Shizune had a little scroll and was happily jotting down notes which _may_ or _may not_ be used for blackmail.

"Mm." She nodded meekly with a wistful smile. "She was… surprisingly clueless when it came to these things."

"I never would've thought!" Shizune said in amusement.

"So she's a good kisser?" Tsunade teased, and outright laughed when Hinata turned as red a Sharingan.

"W—W—Well, o—of course she—"

"You're going to break her, Tsunade-sama." Shizune nagged, patting at Hinata's back comfortingly. "But I'm going to take that as a 'yes'."

"S—Shizune-san!"

"I'm sure she is! And oh—you know what they say about the fingertips of a chakra-control expert, right?" The Sannin winked, enjoying seeing Hinata squirm but feeling a warm sort of affection for the girl at the same time.

From the look on Hinata's face, she's probably _heard_ the stories.

"Tsunade-sama is just teasing," Shizune reassured. "but from the look on your face it seems Sakura has already demonstrated that."

"No! We haven't—we've never really… you know."

" _Ohoho._ " Tsunade smiled wickedly. "Never?"

"I—It has only been a few months, Godaime-sama." Hinata could have squealed from discomfort, but somehow it was a little amusing to think about how Sakura would react if she found out this conversation was happening.

"Not even like, second-base?" Shizune asked in all seriousness.

"W—Well, yeah, it's happened a few times—"

"Sakura, that lynx!" Tsunade's smile turned into a grin, and Hinata raised an eyebrow at the former Hokage's display of pride.

"I thought she would be kind of a prude." Shizune commented as an afterthought.

"Same, but given how it's been a few months and she hasn't tried to _sleep_ with Hinata, she kind of is—"

"G—Godaime-sama, I am still here!" Hinata said with a perfect mix of meekness and indignation.

"Of course, of course." Tsunade laughed apologetically. "We just get a little carried away, you know? She's been through so much, our little Sakura, and it's good to see her be happy."

' _Our little Sakura'_

The sincerity of the moment struck a chord in Hinata's heart, and all of a sudden she was so very thankful: these two probably cared for Sakura as ferociously as they trained her.

"She likes to carry the world on her shoulders, doesn't she? Always thinks she isn't doing enough." Shizune sighed wistfully.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, and Sakura… they're a lot more alike than they realize, I think." Hinata spoke out her thoughts.

A heavy hand was on Hinata's shoulder, and she looked up to an uncharacteristically soft Tsunade. "You lift that weight off her shoulders, okay? When Naruto and Sasuke left… she decided she could only handle things on her own. And now she's so strong, and she probably _can_ do it on her own now, but she doesn't have to… and I think you know where I'm going with this."

"Of course." Hinata gave her a genuine smile. All that was left to join this table was Kakashi, Naruto and Ino and it would have been the perfect 'Sakura Support Group' meeting. It was heartwarming to see that there were plenty who loved some you loved, and Hinata made a mental note to put more effort into getting to know and befriending the important people in Sakura's life.

"Any chance you can do us a favor and dial down that temper of hers?" Tsunade asked hopefully.

"No promises, Godaime-sama. Sakura is Sakura." Hinata chuckled.

"She melts like putty around you. I think we should just have her work under Hinata's supervision." Shizune joked.

"Ah, but Hinata has a life of her own outside of baby-sitting her lover!" The blonde woman winked, enjoying teasing the Hyuuga heiress even more.

"I think you two are capable enough." The raven-haired woman giggled, warming up to her companions faster by the minute.

"It's safe to assume that we won't have to threaten you with 'hurt her and you're dead'?" Tsunade paused, raising an eyebrow.

Hinata felt a little bit of cold sweat because that was coming from Senju Tsunade—she really _was_ going to be dead. "N—no problem there, Godaime-sama."

"Good!" the Godaime's voice was booming once again. "But enough of this sentimental talk, let's get started!"

 _Started…?_ Hinata thought to herself. The former Hokage then slammed a fresh bottle of sake down—when did she even get another one?—and Hinata gulped, feeling that she was in for an interesting afternoon that day.

* * *

"You drank with Tsunade-shishou?!" Sakura sat up, almost crashing her forehead into Hinata's.

Prior to that little outburst, she was lying comfortably on Hinata's lap. She had just arrived from Iwagakure and although the time to relax at the hot springs was great, the travel home took a toll on her. Hinata came over to welcome Sakura home, and the latter was too tired to do anything other than collapse on the couch and snuggle into Hinata's lap.

But that was five minutes ago, and now Sakura was staring at her with slight panic and an embarrassed blush. It's like she already _knew._

"Well… I didn't really have a choice when she whipped the sake out."

"Typical of her." Sakura groaned. "Let me guess, they put you to the hot seat?"

"Y—Yes." Hinata giggled when Sakura cringed.

"And?"

"They think you're a prude…?" Hinata tried not a giggle.

"A—Am I?"

"Shizune-san _might_ have taken notes."

"They own me now." Sakura said in horror.

"No. _I_ do." Hinata kissed her nose, and then blushed at her own attempt at flirting. "W—well, not _own_ in any way that implies dominance or servitude but as in—"

"Relax, Hina." Sakura grinned, temporarily forgetting about her prior embarrassment because of Hinata's flustered state. "I get it, and I don't mind."

"I… don't think you're a prude?" Hinata said in a little supportive voice that was meant to make her girlfriend feel better.

Sakura raised her eyebrows, and then laughed. "It's endearing that you try."

There it was—that little indignant pout that she learned to love on Hinata. Content, Sakura moved to lie back on the Hyuuga's lap but was stopped short by gentle hands.

"Take a bath, I'll change into pajamas, okay?" Hinata lovingly nagged.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right then and there, but considered her options. A clean set of clothes and a comfortable bed with Hinata definitely seemed worth the effort.

Moments later, Sakura came out of the shower livelier than when she entered it. She felt herself wake up and some of the tiredness had seeped out of her system. She walked softly to the bedroom to find Hinata reading under the covers, wearing one of her older shirts.

She blushed, looking up from her book to Sakura. "A—Ano… I forgot to bring sleepwear. I hope you don't mind me borrowing a shirt."

"It's no problem," Sakura said around a yawn, stretching out like a cat before she pulled up the covers to crawl in. Hinata had curled in on herself, as if hiding from a sudden draft of cold. Sakura was about to ask what was wrong when she noticed a flawless expanse of milky, soft skin.

Hinata _meant_ it when she said she forgot to bring sleepwear and borrowed just a _shirt._ There was lump in Sakura's stomach, and she brought her eyes back up as quickly as possible. Hinata's ears had turned a little pink at the tips and she suspected she wasn't faring any better. But she climbed in bed and under the blankets nonetheless, refraining from commenting or doing anything that might put Hinata through discomfort.

Although she had to admit she _could_ get used to Hinata going to bed with no pants.

"What are you reading?" Sakura asked casually, learning over to wrap an arm around Hinata's waist. The latter snuggled closer, and any awkwardness from earlier had immediately been dispersed.

"An annotation of the 4th Great Shinobi War tactics. It's basically notes on every move Shikaku-san ordered."

"Shikamaru has pretty big shoes to fill, huh." Sakura knew the feeling—Tsunade was a pretty high standard that everyone expected her to reach.

"Shikamaru-kun is his own person, just like how Shikaku-san is his." Hinata supplied gently. She recognized the look in Sakura's eyes, the same look Shikamaru has when people talk about what they expect of him. "And you're you, and Godaime-sama is herself."

"How do you _know_ that these things are going on in my head?" Sakura chuckled, the motion of which tickled at Hinata's neck.

"How can I not? You're a little bit of an open book to me, Sakura-chan." Hinata set the book down the nightstand and moved to lie down properly, her back to pressed against Sakura's front.

"Just to you, I hope." Sakura wound her arms tighter around Hinata's torso, pulling her in and nuzzling into her exposed shoulder—Hinata had borrowed an oversized shirt. Her skin was smooth and Sakura realized she had never kissed her shoulder before; so, she did. She kissed the soft skin once, and then twice, and then a third time with her warm breath. Hinata reached out to turn the night lamp off.

The raven-haired woman exhaled slowly, along with a groan so soft that Sakura almost missed it. Almost. The pinkette decided to continue kissing her; up her shoulders, to her neck, leaning forward to underneath Hinata's jaw. Hinata's hand found Sakura's, and she entangled their fingers as she threw her head back and rolled over to face the medic—who suddenly had full access to her neck.

Something _snapped._ There was no need for an invitation—Sakura's warm breath and soft lips had found Hinata's pulse point and throat. Hinata had led Sakura's hand down to right above her knee, and the moment she let go to grab onto the cloth of Sakura's top, a warm palm had begun to trail upward her bare thigh which was so conveniently exposed.

Sakura moved up, nibbling along the sharp edge of Hinata's jaw. This was something entirely new—she realized this when Sakura's hand nearly grabbed at her ass—and it was a little intimidating to see Sakura get worked up to this point: she was a panting, flushed mess and she isn't sure if she's ever seen her like this before.

"Hinata."

She isn't sure if she's ever heard her name said like that before, either. She can see that Sakura has stopped her ministrations and is looking her in the eyes—permission. She was asking permission.

Hinata cups Sakura's cheek and she finds her skin is burning up. Her green eyes are smoldering, and her breathing is labored—she gives her a kiss. A searing, hot kiss punctuated by a bite to Sakura's lower lip. It is all the permission the pinkette needs and soon she's pressing their bodies up together and kissing her harder than ever before.

Hinata feels dexterous hands slip underneath the loose shirt and her underwear and— _good lord_ is that chakra at her fingertips?

* * *

They snuggled together, exhausted yet at peace.

"I love you."

Hinata couldn't help but smile—Sakura had been saying it over and over throughout their night together. She gives her a kiss. "I love you, too."

"I mean it." The arm around her waist tightens. "So much."

"I know." Hinata holds her back. "It's time to rest, okay?"

There's a little grunt of acknowledgment, and then silence. Hinata holds her tenderly, and with a little chuckle she realizes that she was going to have to get back to Shizune and the Godaime because Sakura _was definitely not a prude._

When her eyes start to close, and she finds herself at the edge of falling asleep, she notices it sitting on the end table. A habit that Sakura had never grown out of: a vase of lovely flowers for her.

- _Fin-_

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading up until this point! I was honestly not sure if I should have included this chapter because I felt that the previous one ended on the sweet note we needed. But I wanted something the really wrapped it up, something that didn't just cut the story when the main event closed. I wanted to explore their sexuality because I feel that their physical love, their _-eros-_ would have been the hardest hurdle for them to overcome. I also wanted to close the curtains with them snuggling in bed, because the story will now 'rest' at the same time they do.  
**

 **I really hope enjoyed the ride; leave a review and watch out for more! Thanks, guys.**

 **Lovely Flowers is out!**


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